Houston Riot of 1917
“Dear Mother and Father, When this letter reaches you I will be beyond the veil of sorrow. I will be in heaven with the angels…I am sentenced to be hanged for the trouble that happened in Houston, Texas. Altho (sic) I am not guilty of the crime that I am accused of, but mother, it is God’s will that I go now and in this way….”
- Thomas Hawkins, on the death penalty after the Houston riots
After declaring war against the German Empire in the first months of 1917, the United States war department needed two military installations in Harris County, Texas.
The Twenty-fourth Infantry Regiment, a unit in the United States Army made up of primarily African American soldiers, was ordered to guard Houston's Camp Logan construction site. The African American Soldiers came to Houston primarily from the south, where discrimination and segregation were the norms, yet they expected equal rights as army servicemen. The Jim Crow laws-laws implementing racial segregation- segregated the African American soldiers from the white soldiers. This segregation was noticeable in facilities, street cars, and even drinking water. |
One notable incident is that of a woman who was arrested after the police raided her house, accusing her of covering up for citizens gathered around a street corner. After her arrest, a man offered to take custody of her, but he got beaten up and arrested. When Corporal Charles Baltimore, an African American military policeman, inquired about the man's whereabouts, he was shot and captured. Later, rumors spread around the Camp Logan construction site that Baltimore was killed, which resulted in anger and the planning for an act of revenge and an end to the constant harassment. |
On August 23, 1917, soldiers began to collect their rifles and grab ammunition. They encountered a white mob at the camp, which they managed to overpower, and then they left the camp to march through the streets of Houston. They shot civilian houses and cars occupied by white people until they encountered the police. However, the small group of White police officers got defeated by many African American soldiers. The march left 16 people dead, including civilians, police officers, and soldiers. |
Scene from Roots - The Next Generation
The scene shows the execution of the first few soliders as a result of the Houston Riots of 1917. In addition to a church pastor's description of events as well as queries that were posed.
After the intensity of riots lessened and the damage had already been done, the Twenty-fourth soldiers got disarmed, and police searched for the soldiers that escaped. 118 participants of the mutiny were taken to court, and 110 out of the 118 had been found guilty. 19 soldiers were hanged, and 63 more received life sentences. The riot shook the nation as it imposed racial discrimination and raised the issue of national security. |